Sprint cuts 452 jobs at its Kansas headquarters

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (AP) — Sprint Corp. has cut 452 jobs from its Overland Park headquarters as part of a previously announced cost-cutting effort, the nation's third-biggest cellphone carrier disclosed in a filing with the Kansas Department of Commerce.

The report, which was filed Friday, covers the first installment of layoffs planned throughout October. It doesn't cover any job losses outside the headquarters campus, although they are believed to be happening too, The Kansas City Star (http://bit.ly/107Fwdt ) reports.

The company said earlier this month in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission that it was cutting an unspecified number of jobs to better compete with AT&T and Verizon. Sprint said it would book a $160 million charge in its fiscal second quarter to cover the layoffs, which include managers as well as other employees. It may take more charges for future job cuts.

Job reviews are still underway. Friday's disclosure said the local cuts were permanent and more would come.

"We anticipate additional reduction activity in the next few weeks and will provide an updated list of impacted positions," said the notice filed with the Kansas Department of Commerce.

Another 477 Sprint employees in Overland Park were laid off earlier this year, bringing this year's job cut total to 929. Many of the employees in the first round of cuts had worked at a call center that was shut down.

Before the newly disclosed layoffs, about 7,500 worked for Sprint in the Kansas City area, including some employees who weren't at the headquarters. They're among a total of about 33,000 people working for the company, down from 36,000 at the end of March and down from 38,000 at the end of last year. The decline accounts for layoffs, retirements and people leaving for other reasons, but the company also has hired new employees in some areas.